The Warmth
by TheRealRenee
Summary: Some people are going to pay for their actions... Lita/Edge, Trish/Jeff, Dudleys, Bischoff, Chief Morley, Linda McMahon. Title inspired by Incubus' song "The Warmth" from their Make Yourself CD. Lyrics appear
1. Default Chapter

~*~The Warmth - Part 1~*~ 

  


* * *

"That bitch!" Lita exclaimed, her face a mask of sheer fury as she eyed the TV monitor in the locker room in which she sat with her best friend, Jeff Hardy. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists as she watched Jazz walk off, leaving poor Trish Stratus alone in the tag team match - an _intergender _tag team match, at that. 

Her blonde Canadian friend and the tough, muscular diva had teamed up against that psycho Victoria and her loser boyfriend, Steven Richards. It had seemed that everything had been on the up and up - although Lita had serious doubts about Jazz being Trish's tag team partner. There was just something about the woman - she didn't like her, but more importantly, she didn't _trust_ her, either. Maybe it was because Jazz likened herself to a bitch - which, of course, was exactly what she was. 

Her gaze was riveted to the TV screen as the former Women's champion walked up the ramp, leaving the petite blonde in the ring alone to fend for herself against Victoria and Richards. This was unbelievable - not even a minute earlier, Jazz had been on the apron, clapping like mad for Trish to make it to her corner to tag her in on the action. But it had all been a ruse... 

"I can't believe the _nerve _of that woman!" the redhead shouted, wanting more than anything to run out there to the aid of her friend. Actually, maybe she _should _go out there - damn the fact that one of the people beating up on Trish was a man. "What am I talking about?" Lita suddenly said. "She's _not _a woman! Jazz is right about one thing - she _is _a bitch!" 

She winced as she watched the unmerciful ending of the match. Victoria got the three-count after that vicious-looking neckbreaker thing of hers, and afterward, Trish just lay on the canvas, not moving. And then... 

Oh, God... That asshole Steven Richards was grabbing a chair from ringside. "No!" Lita shouted, and then, briefly turning around, she suddenly became aware of the fact that Jeff was gone. 

"Jeff?" The redhead shifted her gaze back to the monitor, her eyes wide by now, and was surprised as she saw the colorful-haired young man running down the ramp to the ring. He was on his way to rescue Trish - and thank goodness for that. 

* 

Trish Stratus cringed in the corner of the ring, her battered body full of pain. She'd just wrestled a grueling match - one that had basically been a handicap match - and an intergender one, at that, and she felt like bloody hell. Not only had Victoria beaten her up, but the woman's idiot boyfriend, Steven Richards had done quite a number on her himself. 

The little blonde winced as she held a hand up to the back of her head. Damn it... She should have known better than to agree to teaming up with the likes of Jazz. She knew what kind of person the muscular diva was, and she should have listened to that little voice inside her head. Likewise, she should have listened to the warnings her best friend, Lita, had issued to her as well. The redhead knew Jazz all too well from their ECW days together, and they'd never seen eye-to-eye back then, either. 

Shit... It was too late to think of what she _should _have done. Trish raised her weary head and saw the psychotic couple coming after her, a steel chair in Richards' hands. Her eyes widened in fright as she realized he was going to smash her with it. 

The petite blonde woman squeezed her eyes shut in her horrible anticipation of the blow, but it never came. And then, she suddenly realized that the fans in the crowd were cheering... 

As Trish opened her eyes, she was surprised to see that someone had evidently come to her rescue. Steven Richards was currently getting his ass handed to him, and the chair was dropkicked into his face, sending the man sprawling. As Trish continued to watch, she realized the identity of her savior - Jeff Hardy. 

The young man tossed the Women's champion into the turnbuckles, and then Richards came back and made his next move - which proved to be a big mistake, as the younger Hardy brother faked him out. Steven went hurtling into the turnbuckles, directly into Victoria. 

The raven-haired diva made an attempt to strike out at Jeff, but the rainbow-haired man sent her sprawling, then, quick as a cat, he began to climb the turnbuckles, and Trish knew he was going to try a Swanton Bomb. However, before he could even make it all the way up to the top, Richards, on the outside of the ring, yanked his girlfriend out to safety. 

The Hardy Boy angrily watched the pair for a moment as they retreated up the ramp to the backstage area. Then, turning toward Trish, his features softened, and he made his way over to her, helping her to her feet. 

The little blonde clung onto his arm gratefully, wondering what on earth might have happened had the young man not come to her rescue. She didn't even want to think about it... 

Jeff reached out and gently touched her shoulder, and Trish met his green gaze, too stunned and in too much pain to even utter a thank you. Then, to her further shock, the young man reached out with one hand, pulling her head toward him so that their foreheads met... 

And then Jeff Hardy kissed her. 

Trish stared in shock at the North Carolinian as he slowly departed the ring, leaving her standing there. She watched him wonderingly, one hand going up to her face, which was partially covered with his body paint from the kiss. 

She told herself she would have to seek Jeff out later on, after she'd cleaned up and possibly got checked out by the trainer. All of a sudden, they had a lot to talk about... 

  
  
  
  


**Part 2**

**Back**


	2. Chapter 2

~*~The Warmth - Part 2~*~ 

  


* * *

After witnessing what had just happened out in the ring on the TV monitor, Lita rushed out into the hallway to meet her friends. 

The moment she approached the curtain leading out to the arena, Jeff stepped through. The young man looked distracted, and he didn't even stop to look her way. 

"Jeff? Jeff!" The redhead shouted after him, but the colorful-haired young man ignored her and continued his brisk walk back to his locker room. 

_What the _hell _is going on? _Lita thought as she stared after him. Moments ago, Jeff had run out there to save Trish from those creeps Victoria and Steven Richards, and as he'd helped her up, he'd tenderly kissed her on the lips - almost like a fairytale prince kissing his dream princess... Why had the younger Hardy brother just run off like that? 

Lita recalled how, a couple of years ago, Trish had gone to the ringside area during RAW to witness a match Jeff had competed in against The Big Show. Afterward, although the rainbow-headed man had lost, the diva had helped him up and planted a kiss on his lips. This was probably gratitude, as a short time previous, the petite blonde had teamed up with the huge man in an intergender tag team match against Lita and her then-boyfriend, Matt Hardy. Jeff, of course, had been in their corner. And after Trish had cost her partner and herself the match after being pinned courtesy of Lita's moonsault, Show had gone after her, in a rage. Jeff had stuck around and saved the Canadian diva from the big man's wrath with a missle dropkick that knocked him to the canvas - allowing Trish to scramble to safety to the outside. 

It was all so strange, it didn't add up. While Lita honestly had no idea what, if anything, had ever transpired between her two friends - they were both pretty quiet on the subject - nothing had really been going on as of late with the two of them. 

The redhead shook her head as though to clear it. It had already been a crazy night on RAW as it was, with the Dudley Boyz allying themselves with that asshole Chief Morley for the sake of their jobs in the WWE. That incident had shocked her about as much as Jeff having kissed Trish did - but even worse, it left her with a feeling of horrible dismay. Bubba Ray and D-Von had obviously been anything but happy with their unfortunate decision. 

All of a sudden, as the high-flying redhead turned back around, Trish stepped through the curtain, and all of the Dudleys' troubles were forgotten for the moment. 

"Trish!" Lita rushed to her friend's side. "Are you okay?" Tentatively, she placed a hand on the blonde's arm, peering with concern into her face. She noted how, not only had the blonde woman's mascara run, but there were also a couple of smudges of bodypaint on her forehead - Jeff... 

The petite Canadian winced as she grabbed hold of the other woman's arm, supporting herself. With her free hand, she reached behind her, clutching at her lower back, which hurt like hell after Victoria had stretched it out using the ropes as a prop. 

"Oh, God damn that God damn Victoria - and Steven Richards! Anddamn that Jazz to _hell_!" Trish cried, her expression briefly transforming to one of fierce anger. She couldn't believe she'd been left out there alone to get her ass kicked. 

"Come on - let's get you back to the locker room," Lita said, holding fast to her friend. 

The little blonde looked up, her face curious, eyes full of some emotion the redhead couldn't quite place. "Where's Jeff?" 

"I don't know..." Lita replied with a slight shrug. "He just ran past me and didn't stop...I guess he may be in his locker room - or taking a shower." 

The two women headed down the hallway to their locker room, and neither spoke until they were esconced in the small room. As the redheaded diva helped Trish onto the small couch situated against one wall, the blonde finally spoke again. 

"I have to speak to him..." She shook her head, then ran her fingers through her long golden locks. "Who knows what those two psychos would've done to me if it weren't for him...And after that kiss..." 

"I know," Lita said in agreement. "You guys definitely have a lot to discuss..." 

Trish met her friend's hazel eyes for a beat before continuing. "He...He came out to help me when no one else would..." 

"I was going to run out there myself," the redhead admitted. 

"But Jeff _kissed _me," the blonde woman said, her fingers traveling up to gently touch her lips as she spoke the young man's name for the first time since entering the locker room. She stared into her friend's face with wonder. "He _kissed _me..." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 3**

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	3. Chapter 3

~*~The Warmth - Part 3~*~ 

  


* * *

{I'd like to close my eyes and go numb   
But there's a cold wind coming from   
The top of the highest high-rise today   
It's not a breeze 'cause it blows hard   
Yes and it wants me to discard the humanity I know   
Watch the warmth blow away   
Do you think I should adhere   
To that pressing new frontier?   
And leave in my wake a trail of fear(?)   
Or should I hold my head up high   
And throw a wrench in spokes by   
Leaving the air behind me clear? 

Don't let the world bring you down   
Not everyone here is that fucked up and cold   
Remember why you came and while you're alive   
Experience the warmth before you grow cold...} 

While Trish was in the shower, Amy stepped out and went over to Jeff's locker room down the hall. 

Although the last thing the redhead wanted to be was nosy, she felt a need to talk to her best friend about the events from a little earlier. 

"Jeff?" she called, knocking lightly on the door. Since he was always very quick in the shower, Lita figured he had to be out and back in his locker room. 

Jeff Hardy looked up upon hearing his name, and after a moment's hesitation, he made his way to the door and opened it. 

"Hey, Li..." 

"Jeff, what's going on? Are you okay?" the redheaded diva asked with concern. She followed him across the room to sit down on the sofa situated against one wall. 

"Yeah, sure. I'm fine," the young man replied, running a hand through his short, shaggy ink-blue hair. 

"Well, you didn't _seem _fine when you just ran away like that." 

"Oh...Well, sorry about that. I didn't mean to be rude," Jeff replied. 

"Never mind that," Lita said, putting up one hand. "Why did you do what you did?" 

Jeff met her hazel eyes squarely, his green ones growing hard as he recalled what had happened out there in the ring. 

"I just thought enough was enough, you know? I've had it with people picking on others - especially men who think it's fun to gang up on a woman. So, I decided to even up the odds." 

The redhead stared at him wordlessly for a beat, her arms crossing under her breasts. "That's not what I mean," she said. "I meant the other thing - after?" 

The young man's brows quirked upward. "Oh...Well, I had my reasons for that, too." 

Lita studied her best friend's face for another moment. He'd removed all the bodypaint, including on his face, so he was a bit easier to read at the moment, However, Jeff Hardy was _never _an easy read, so she had to verbalize again. 

"And what reason or reasons would _those _be?" 

The colorful-haired man raised his gaze, meeting the diva's eyes, his face somewhat sad as he spoke. 

"Simple...because I have been in love with Trish Stratus for the past year and a half..." 

* 

Trish finished packing the rest of her belongings as soon as she returned to her locker room. She wondered where Lita was, as the redhead was nowhere in sight. But then she figured that, somehow, the high-flying diva must have visited her best friend. 

Jeff... The man who had run out to save her earlier that night - the man who had kissed her afterward... 

Trish recalled it all, and she bit her lip gently. The colorful-headed young man had been so very gentle - so tender. He'd helped her to stand and had pressed his forehead to hers in an affectionate way. And when his lips had met hers, the kiss he'd planted on her had been soft and sweet - not quite chaste exactly, but tender...loving, even. He hadn't slipped her any tongue, but that was what made it even _more _endearing... 

"Knock, knock..." 

The little blonde, startled, jumped nearly three feet into the air at the sound of the voice, of the accompanying rapping on the door. She spun around, one hand against her chest as she willed her heart to resume its normal pace. 

"Oh, God! Edge, you scared me half to death!" 

"Sorry...didn't mean to startle you," the tall blond man said as he stood in the open doorway of the locker room. "I just stopped by to see how you were after what happened earlier...You okay?" 

"Yeah...yeah, I'm fine," Trish replied as she eyed her friend. She wondered why she hadn't noticed the door being open when she'd returned from her shower - and why she hadn't closed it when she had. It wasn't like Lita to not close the locker room door - whether or not she was in the room. And the petite blonde _knew _why she hadn't been aware of such a thing - her mind had been totally consumed by thoughts of Jeff... 

"That was pretty brutal," Edge said, referring to the way Victoria and Richards had ganged up on her. "Good thing Jeff came to the rescue." 

Trish gazed into the man's green eyes for a beat, then shifted her own eyes elsewhere upon his last sentence. 

"I was about to run out to help you myself," her fellow Canadian admitted, "but when I saw him run out there, I knew you'd be okay..." 

"That's what Lita said..." the blonde diva breathed, her mind still mostly on the gallant young man who'd rescued her. 

Edge arched an eyebrow at that, his own eyes softening as he thought about the fiery redheaded diva. That _did _sound like something she would do... She was just the type of person who would run out to the ring to give a friend a hand - even if that friend was being attacked by a man... She was so admirable, so tough, yet so sweet. And Edge liked her more than he'd ever admitted. 

"Where _is _Lita?" he suddenly asked. He loved being around the redhead. She was a great friend, so fun to be with - hell, he loved just _looking _at her. 

"I'm not sure," Trish said. "She's probably with Jeff." That reminded her again to go find the young man as soon as possible. 

She had to tell him how she felt about what he'd done for her - and about how she still felt... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 4**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	4. Chapter 4

~*~The Warmth - Part 4~*~ 

  


* * *

"Jeff, Trish wants to talk to you!" Lita exclaimed as she practically chased after the young man. They were in the parking lot, searching for the rental car they were sharing, and the redhead had to pretty much run to keep up with her best friend. She thought she was going to drop her bag or something running after him. 

"Here it is," Jeff said as he reached the silver Altima. He unlocked the trunk first, hefted his bag in, then grabbed hold of Lita's bag, packing it away as well. Then he unlocked the passenger's door before going around to the driver's side. 

"Jeff," the redhead spoke as he slid into the car with her, "you _have _to talk to her!" 

The young man slammed his door shut, reaching for his seatbelt. Once he had it secured, he glanced ahead, out the windshield. 

"I know...I'm just...not ready." 

"Not ready? You just told me you've been in love with Trish for the last year and a half, and you're not _ready _to talk to her?" 

"Yeah..." Jeff put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot, heading out into the street. 

After a beat, the diva crossed her arms as she turned to stare at the rainbow-haired young man. 

"I will never understand you," she said. "If it was _me _who'd been in love with someone for that long, you'd better believe that I would just get over myself and _tell _them!" 

"It's not that simple, Li..." 

"Oh, Jeff...Of _course _it's not simple. These things _never _are...but you take chances in life," the redhead said. "Especially _you _- you're the first person I ever saw do a Swanton Bomb. You're all about taking chances!" 

"But this is different..." the younger Hardy protested. "This is not some new maneuver I wanna try out in the ring." 

Lita eyed her best friend questioningly. "What exactly happened between you and Trish two years ago?" She knew she was delving her way into personal stuff, but damn it, this was _Jeff_. 

"Well..." The young man ran his hand through his shaggy blue hair as he braked for a red light, and the redhead knew she'd touched a nerve. "Remember that time when the whole WWF versus Alliance thing was going on?" 

"Yeah...?" 

"Remember that night when Stacy Keibler and Torrie Wilson were comin' onto me and Matt backstage while you and Trish had a match?" 

"Of course I do," Lita said, her hands unconsciously clenching into fists. She'd been furious at the way her then-boyfriend Matt had been looking at Stacy - with such desire in his eyes. And although the leggy blonde had long since apologized for her actions and become a friend, it still upset Lita when she thought back on it. 

"Well, Trish and I went on a date a little while after that incident," Jeff explained. "And basically, I don't know why she didn't call it off...All night, she was in a real bad mood and kept mentioning Torrie, and that particular incident." He shook his head. "I liked her even back then...I really, really liked her - but she was so bitter about that whole thing. At the end of the night, when I moved in to kiss her, she pulled back and asked me wouldn't I rather kiss Torrie again..." 

Lita eyed him almost sympathetically. "Jeff, that was a long time ago. And I'm sure Trish didn't really think you had a thing for _Whorrie,_ she was just annoyed over that night - I mean, that happened right after you guys were getting close. Right?" 

"Yeah." 

"So..._talk _to her! Jeff, Trish is a great girl - you _know _that." The redhead smiled as she faced him fully again. "Would I ever tell you to do something if I thought it was a bad idea?" 

"No - never." 

"Then?" 

"Okay, fine - you win, Li...I'll talk to Trish..." 

"That's the spirit!" 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 5**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

~*~The Warmth - Part 5~*~ 

  


* * *

The moment Edge and Trish - who'd shared a rental car on the trip to the arena that night - arrived back at the hotel, the petite blonde diva disappeared down the hallway to her room. 

The tall blond man decided to go and visit Lita. He'd missed seeing the redhead backstage while still at the arena, so he was doubly anxious to see her. 

Edge ran his hand through his long hair as he made his way down the hall. He knew the diva would be in her hotel room right now, relaxing. She rarely went out after shows these days, and although she'd done that quite often while she'd been dating Matt Hardy, the blond knew that wasn't really her style. The elder Hardy brother was the one who'd always been very much into the club scene - and Lita was not. 

Edge often wondered why the redhead had put up with so very much from Matt Hardy. Over the last few months of their relationship, it had seemed as though the man had done nothing but take her for granted. He'd also slowly but surely drifted away from her emotionally, and whenever Lita had tried to close the ever-widening gap between them, Matt would just push her even further away with his rotten attitude. Eventually, the diva had gotten fed up and told him they were through. 

The night of the breakup, Lita had gone to Edge. A little while after the scene with the darker Hardy, she'd sought out the blond man and found him in his hotel room. She'd checked out of her own and into a new one, as, obviously, she could no longer stay with Matt. She'd been stony-faced as she'd told the blond Canadian she'd finally ended things with the elder Hardy brother, but in moments, she'd broken into tears. 

Edge stood directly outside the door to the redhead's room, his hand poised to knock as he continued to think about that night. As he rapped with his knuckles, he recalled how much he'd wanted to comfort her. He _had_, but not quite to the extent as he'd wished. And although she might not have wanted to hear it at the time, he'd told her she was better off without Matt. 

"Edge...Hi," Lita said with a smile as she opened the door to see him there. 

The tall blond man was a bit taken aback by the fact that the diva was already dressed for bed. She was clad in a pair of cozy-looking pajamas, the top comfortably oversized. Her red hair was pulled back and up into a ponytail, held in place by a gray scrunchy. Her lovely face was scrubbed of all traces of makeup. 

"Hey, Red...I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were about to turn in..." He was about to turn around to go as he was mumbling about not wanting to disturb her when she stopped him. 

"Edge, no - I wasn't going to bed just yet," she said as she reached out and took hold of his wrist. "I was just getting comfortable, that's all." 

He turned around to gaze into her pretty, smiling face. "Are you sure?" 

"Of course I'm sure," Lita replied. "Besides, I always have time for _you_..." Then, she pulled him into the room. Inwardly, she thought, _...my favorite blond.___

The Canadian sat down on the edge of the bed and gazed at the redhead, not exactly knowing what to say now that he was here - but he couldn't stop thinking how cute he thought she looked. In fact, she was adorable. He supposed not many of the divas would wear comfortable pajamas like she was wearing - someone like Torrie Wilson would certainly never want anyone to think of her wearing anything but skimpy lingerie to bed. Lita's style and carefree attitude was only one of the things he loved about her. She didn't care what other people thought, and she was comfortable with herself, regardless of what she was wearing, and, to Edge, that made her the sexiest diva in the WWE. Well, actually, there were _dozens_ of other reasons he found her sexy... 

"I saw what happened to Trish tonight," the blond man finally said dumbly, suddenly too nervous to say much else. 

"Yeah...stupid Victor/Victoria and that dork Steven Richards..." 

Edge couldn't help but laugh. "I was about to run out there to help Trish." 

"So was I - we would've run into each other if we'd done that." 

"Victor/Victoria, huh?" the Canadian asked, a chuckle accompanying his question. 

"Yeah," the redhead said. "Sometimes I really wonder about that one..." She joined the blond man in his laughter. 

"Hey, I was just going to watch a movie..." she said after a beat. "Why don't you stay and watch with me?" 

"Lovely Lita," Edge replied, a grin on his handsome face, "nothing could drag me away..." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 6**

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	6. Chapter 6

  


* * *

_Next Night, SmackDown_

Lita entered the women's locker room thinking about Edge and the previous evening of quality time they'd spent together. 

Her pretty face wore a bright smile as she thought about the tall blond man and how she felt about him... 

They were great friends. In fact, Edge might very well be one of her _best _friends - but she couldn't deny the crush she had on him. 

She'd realized that she liked him as more than a friend awhile back - oh, since around the time he'd first officially turned face, which had been September of 2001. Not that she hadn't always felt an attraction toward him - with his personality, not to mention those looks, how could she not? 

As the redhead changed into her clothing for the show and then stood over the vanity to examine her hair and face, she remembered Trish and Jeff... In all this time, since Edge had paid her that visit last night, she hadn't really given them all that much thought. Now, she wondered. 

As though on cue with her thoughts, the locker room door suddenly opened, and the blonde diva bounded in. 

"Hey, Lita..." Trish dropped her bag by the lockers and made her way to her friend. 

"Hi...What a coincidence - I was just thinking about you." 

The Canadian smiled, and the redhead thought she could read something in that expression - it was more than a mere smile. 

"So? Give me all the details, Stratus...What happened last night?" 

Trish grabbed Lita by the wrist, leading her to the couch halfway across the room. As both women flopped down to sit, the blonde turned toward her friend and began to explain excitedly. 

"Well, Jeff came to my room last night...It was ironic, because I'd actually decided I was gonna go out to find _him_. So, we talked, and he asked me if we could try another date. You don't know this, but two years ago, we went out once - but it turned out to be a disaster." 

"I know..." 

"You do?" Trish asked, surprised. 

"Jeff told me about it last night," Lita explained. "Believe me, Trish - you have _nothing _to worry about. I know Jeff Hardy better than anybody. He definitely doesn't have a thing for Torrie - nor will he _ever_." 

The petite blonde rolled her eyes in disgust. "I don't know how anyone can like that woman, let alone _respect _her," she said. "I mean, that whole Playboy business..." 

"I know," the redhead agreed, making a face. "And to think that two years ago, this same woman was telling everyone who would listen that she wanted to be taken seriously in this business. Well, hello! Um...maybe you should actually learn to _wrestle _if you really want to accomplish that???" She rolled her eyes sarcastically. 

"Well, unfortunately, she's in the back pocket of _both _the General Managers - as sickening as _that _is," Trish said. "You'd think that Stephanie would be a _little_ disgusted by her behavior, being a woman herself..." She reached out, placing a hand on Lita's wrist as she suddenly leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially to her friend. "You're not going to believe this...but I heard that they might make that psycho Victoria job out to Torrie to make _her _the new Women's champion..." 

"What?!" The redheaded diva was unable to hold back her nearly hysterical laughter. "What a joke! Tell me you're kidding!" 

"No...actually, I'm not," Trish said seriously, her brown eyes fixed on Lita's hazel ones. "On my way over here, I passed Bischoff and Chief Morley in the hallway, and I heard _them _discussing that." 

"My...my God," Lita said, her laughter completely gone. "That's just insane!" Her expression grew angry. "Granted, I can't stand Victoria - but at least she's a good wrestler!" 

"I know...it's sad, isn't it?" the blonde questioned rhetorically. "But maybe we can do something about this..." 

"Oh, I'm all for protesting," the redhead said, nodding vigorously. 

Thinking fast, Trish began to explain her suddenly, spur-of-the-moment idea, and Lita raised an eyebrow, nodding her approval. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 7**

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	7. Chapter 7

  


* * *

Lita glanced over her script for the evening, her eyes widening as she realized, for the first time, who her opponent would be. 

"What the _hell _is this?" 

"What?" Trish turned to glance over her shoulder at her friend. She was standing at the vanity, a brush in her right hand, as she'd been in the middle of styling her long blond hair. 

"This _must _be some sort of joke..." the redhead said as she looked up to meet her friend's eyes. "Guess who they have me wrestling tonight?" 

"Who?" the blonde Canadian diva asked. By the look on Lita's face, her first guess would be that she was slated to compete against a man. However, Lita had wrestled men before, and she'd even _defeated _some of them. But what if she'd been ordered to take on someone like Triple H or Batista rather than someone along the lines of Spike Dudley? That idea was just ludicrous... 

"Torrie Wilson!" the redhead practically spat out the name, and she slammed the papers down on the coffee table beside which she was standing. Trish winced, actually surprised the glass topping hadn't shattered under the force. Wow... No _wonder _Lita was so pissed. However... 

"You know what?" she began. "In a way, I'm sorry _I'm _not scheduled to meet her tonight..." As Lita gave her an incredulous look, Trish smiled and continued. "I'd _love _the opportunity to kick her ass all over the ring." 

"Well, you _do _have a point... Eh... I don't know what Bischoff's problem is..." 

"He's a vile, disgusting, pathetic, sexist pig..." the petite blonde offered. "He doesn't know squat about women's wrestling - or about women in general. He probably doesn't even realize that what _we _do out there _is _wrestling - so how can he know Torrie _can't_?" 

"I'll just bet..." the redhead said. "But it's not _fair_! Stephanie is also General Manager - maybe I can speak to her and get this ridiculous 'match' overturned. She knows I'm above getting in the ring with the human blowup doll." 

"So am I - above getting in the ring with the human blowup doll, that is - _all _the woman who know what they're doing in the ring are..." Trish said. 

"Yeah!" the high-flying redheaded diva exclaimed. "And you know what? I'm not going to Stephanie to complain - I'm going straight to the source - _Eric Bischoff_!" 

"You go, girl!" Trish cried. She pumped one small fist in the air, and then the redhead stormed out the door. 

Lita marched down the hallway, ignoring all and any wrestlers who happened to be out there. Her mind was currently focused exclusively on one thing - and on giving one particular person a piece of her mind. She'd make sure not to be shy about it, either. 

As she headed straight for Eric Bischoff's office, she suddenly realized the GM wasn't even in there, as she heard his voice just around the bend of the corridor. 

"I don't _care_ what you two want or don't want to do!" he was shouting, and the diva inched steadily closer to the corner to get a glimpse. She was wondering who the unfortunate victims of the man's tirade were until she saw them... 

The Dudley Boyz were standing across from Bischoff, who had that smug jerk Chief Morley beside him, as always. The General Manager had a finger pointing at D'Von, then directed it toward Bubba Ray, and the two brothers looked pissed. 

"Look, Bischoff!" D'Von spat. "We're sick and tired of your games, and we're not gonna take it anymore. Bubba, my brother - we can't cooperate with them anymore!" 

Bubba Ray glared at Bischoff, but he spoke to his brother. "D'Von, we have no choice... Yes, the man is an arrogant prick, but we wanna keep our jobs, right?" 

That brought a big grin to the GM's face, despite the fact that he'd just been called an 'arrogant prick.' 

"That's what I thought..." the man in charge said, and he turned toward his Chief of Staff, who nodded and laughed. The Dudleys, however, looked pretty damn unhappy. 

"God damn it!" Lita exclaimed, no longer caring about spying on the four men. She'd seen and heard enough. 

As she charged their way, the four of them all looked surprised to see her. 

"What do _you _want?" Bischoff demanded. "Spying on us, were you?" 

"No... Actually, I was looking for you, because we have to talk about my match for tonight," the redhead said firmly. "However, now that you mention it, I _do _have to step in here... These two guys are friends of mine - and I _won't _let you screw with them any longer!" She positioned herself in front of the Dudleys. 

Bubba Ray and D'Von exchanged glances. While Bubba's face just wore an expression of surprise and bordered on a frown, D'Von couldn't help grinning at the woman's spunk. 

"Oh, is that so?" Eric glanced at Morley, who still wore that ridiculous smile, which Lita wanted more than anything to just slap clear off his face. 

"Yes, that's so!" the diva stated. "And as for this match you've got me in tonight, I will _not _wrestle that human Barbie doll!" 

"Yes, you will..." Bischoff said, the mock amusement now gone from his face. "You don't make the matches around here, lady - _I _do." 

"I _refuse _to sell for someone who's more interested in parading around naked for horny teenage boys than actually learning how to wrestle!" 

"Oh, yes you will!" the man reiterated, his voice louder than before. "And quite frankly, I'm getting sick of you, so I suggest you make yourself scarce." He looked toward the Dudleys, who looked annoyed, and perhaps a second away from attacking him to protect the redhead. "You two - get out of here!" 

Bubba and D'Von were reluctant to move from their spots. 

"Go on! You heard Mr. Bischoff!" Chief Morley yelled. 

The Dudleys left, albeit reluctantly. As they were a few feet down the hall, Bubba Ray turned to look back once, but both men continued walking. 

"You know what? You are really starting to get under my skin, little girl..." the GM hissed as Lita glared at him. "Chief, why don't _you _do the honors?" With that, he went calmly back into his office. 

The redhead's intention was to stand her ground, but she was not prepared for Morley actually putting his hands on her. She let out a yelp as the man grabbed her forcibly by her upper arm, struggling in his tight grasp. 

"Let me go, you ass!" 

"Not a chance..." Morley's grip tightened. "You're a real troublemaker, you know that?" 

All of a sudden, Lita was free. The Chief had released her, and as she spun around, she realized why... 

Someone had seen her being manhandled and had run over and attacked him. The man who'd saved her pummeled Morley repeatedly - and then she realized who her savior was... 

It was Edge... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 8**

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	8. Chapter 8

  


* * *

Lita watched with widened eyes as Edge continued to beat the hell out of Chief Morley. 

She was almost torn between the joy she felt at the tall blond man coming to her rescue and the fear of him getting into trouble for doing so. And she _knew _without a shadow of a doubt that he _would _be penalized for it. 

"What the hell is going on out here?!" 

The redhead looked up sharply as Eric Bischoff exited his office to check on the fracas, and his expression grew furious at what he saw. 

To the diva's utmost shock, the GM ran over to the two battling men and grabbed Edge, pulling him off of his henchman. Luckily for Bischoff, he was at least smart enough not to try to hit the tall Canadian. 

Nonetheless, Edge glared at him with furious green eyes. The General Manager began backing up, his hands before him as he sputtered. 

"Now, Edge...Let's not do anything rash, okay?" 

The blond man continued to stare at him with malice, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. He looked angry enough to pound Bischoff to a pulp. 

The GM must have thought that as well, for he side-stepped Edge and went over to Chief Morley to check on him, avoiding a beating in the process. 

Edge kept an eye on the two men but stepped closer to Lita. "Are you okay?" 

"Fine..." she said, and nodded. 

Bischoff looked up from the spot upon which he'd knelt to check on his Chief of Staff. Glaring at them, he spat, "You are _both _going to pay for this - for attacking Morley and for defying me..." 

The redhead and the tall blond man stared at the wretched creature that happened to be the General Manager. Then, Lita glanced up into Edge's face, her breath caught in her throat as she wondered what Bischoff might have in mind for them. 

The man straightened up, and Morley stood along with him, one hand to his jaw where the other Canadian had punched him. The two glared at one another for a beat, and Bischoff took a step closer to Lita and Edge. 

"You two...You're having yourselves a match - _tonight_," the GM barked, pointing a forefinger at them, his expression furious. "Your opponents - the Dudleys! Your match - a tag team _table _match!" 

The redhead's jaw dropped as she gaped at the man. Edge, on the other hand, glared at Bischoff, a murderous gleam in his emerald eyes. It seemed as though he wanted to just reach out and wring the bastard's neck. 

"And the only way to win the match will be to put _both _of your opponents through tables..." Eric continued, a sadistic grin spreading across his smug countenance. 

Lita glanced at Edge quickly, then shifted her eyes back to the GM. He was obviously taking a great deal of enjoyment from this. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 9**

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	9. Chapter 9

  


* * *

Edge walked a shaky Lita back to her locker room, concern sweeping through him as he pressed a hand gently against the small of her back, his arm around her. 

"Thanks, Edge..." she said, her tone mild as she gazed up into the blond man's handsome face. She opened the door, then turned back to face him. "For everything..." 

The tall Canadian blinked at her with worry as he took in the tiny, uncertain smile she offered him. He knew she must be feeling scared right about now. Eric Bischoff was such a pathetic little prick, just like Bubba Ray Dudley had said. 

Trish was in the room, but neither Edge nor Lita had even realized it until she approached the door. 

"Hey...What's going on?" the little blonde asked, her expression curious as she noticed the looks on both their faces. 

The redhead shook her head and sighed. "I confronted Bischoff about the match with Torrie," she said. "But I walked in on him and Chief Morley throwing their weight around with the Dudleys - so I tried to stand up for them." 

Trish arched an eyebrow. "Wow...Then what happened?" 

"Bischoff sicced Morley on me," the high-flying diva said. "And then, all of a sudden, Edge was there..." Her hazel gaze went back to the tall blond man, and again, she felt grateful toward him. "He beat the crap out of him - and thank goodness, because I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't shown up when he did..." 

"You mean Morley actually put his hands on you?" Trish asked incredulously as she recalled the way the man had gone after her at the end of her stint as his manager three years earlier. She'd been terrified of what he might do. Afterward, she actually found herself glad that Chyna had pinned and beaten her in the intergender tag match for the Intercontinental title at SummerSlam the preceding week. She'd learned way back then that the then Val Venis cared only about himself and didn't give a damn about her or their former cohorts, Test and Albert. 

Lita nodded. "He grabbed me..." 

"He was manhandling her when I came on the scene," Edge concurred. 

"That bastard!" the petite blonde cried, her face angry. "Maybe I should give him a piece of my mind and rip off his balls in the process - if he _has _any, that is!" 

The blond man exchanged glances with the redhead, who still looked upset and nervous. If she hadn't looked that way, Edge supposed he would have laughed at Trish's spunk - although he admired her tons for it. And he knew the little blonde diva would make do of what she'd just said. 

Lita shuddered a bit as she looked down. "Bischoff made a match for us after what happened...an...intergender tag team table match..." 

"What? Who are your opponents going to be?" Trish sincerely hoped it would not be Jeff and herself facing them. 

"The Dudleys..." 

"_What_?!" The Canadian woman's chocolate-brown eyes went wide as she stared at her friend in shock. Oh, she'd always known Eric Bischoff was a piece of crap - but this stunt was even worse than she'd ever imagined. Everyone knew that, despite the Dudley Boyz being good guys - although that was questionable now that they'd complied with Bischoff's wishes - Bubba still enjoyed putting women through tables. That was definitely no secret. Let's face it - in this scenario, Lita didn't stand a chance. If D'Von got to Edge before he could rescue the redhead, that was it. It all smelled very foul and left a bad taste in Trish's mouth. She was disappointed in the Dudleys for siding with the GM, regardless of their reluctance to do so. But this match made it all that much worse. 

"When is this supposed to take place?" she questioned, glancing from Lita to Edge. 

"Tonight," the blond man said, his features hardened in his anger. Just thinking about those worthless bastards Bischoff and Chief Morley was enough to set him off. He would just _love _to get his hands on them and didn't know which one he wanted to destroy more - Morley for putting his filthy paws on Lita, or Bischoff for orchestrating the entire attack on the redhead. 

"That's so unfair!" Trish shouted, waving her arms around in an angry gesture. "But you know what? Don't worry - Bubba and D'Von would never go for a match like that." 

"And how do you know _that_, Trish?" 

"Oh, come on, Edge!" she said. "They would never hurt Lita!" 

"Trish, they've already gone along with Bischoff and Morley..." the redhead spoke in an oddly calm voice. "They won't dare go against them. They...they care way too much about their jobs _not _to." 

The little blonde eyed her friend with dismay. This was such a screwed up situation. 

"Don't worry," she finally said. "We'll figure something out...Somehow, we'll figure a way out of this mess..." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 10**

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	10. Chapter 10

  


* * *

Trish walked slowly down the hallway, feeling like a bundle of nerves. 

She felt absolutely awful for Lita and Edge for having been tossed into a table match against the Dudleys - well, not so much for Edge, who'd proven himself in such bouts time and again - but the slender redhead was no match for Bubba and D'Von. She wished she could personally teach Eric Bischoff a lesson - one that he would never, ever forget. 

Trish flinched slightly as she almost collided with someone who'd just so happened to turn directly into her path on the other side of the corridor. 

"Oh!" she exclaimed, and as she regained her bearings, she realized it was Jeff. 

The colorful-haired man smiled. "Sorry about that. I should really pay more attention to where I'm going, shouldn't I?" He smiled again, and it was then that the petite blonde became aware of the fact that he was holding onto both of her hands. It was a sensation that was anything but unpleasant. 

Trish giggled, which dismayed her because she _never _did that. "Yeah, you _should_!" she teased. 

"I was just looking for you," Jeff admitted. "So, funny that we should literally bump into each other..." 

"Yeah? What's up?" 

"Well..." The younger Hardy brother finally released her hands, which Trish found herself disappointed for, and began to fidget nervously. "Wanna watch matches together? I don't have one scheduled for tonight, and I know you already wrestled..." 

The little blonde eyed him quietly, recalling her match against Victoria. It had been pretty good - she'd gotten the victory, even though that worthless Steven Richards had tried to interfere. One Stratusfaction later, and he was taken care of. One more Stratusfaction had done in Victoria. Thank goodness Jazz hadn't come out to interfere. Trish could very easily manage the raven-haired diva and her boyfriend, but Jazz was a different story... 

"Sure...I'd love to," she finally answered, and Jeff smiled before leading her to his locker room. 

They sat down on a small loveseat before the TV monitor in the room, and the blonde shook her head. "Looks like Lita and Edge's match is coming up very soon..." 

"Lita and Edge had a match tonight?" The young man's voice was full of surprise as he regarded her. "But Li already wrestled against Torrie Wilson earlier tonight..." 

Trish stared at Jeff in surprise. Obviously, Lita nor Edge had run into him and told him what had happened. She was especially surprised the redhead hadn't done that, as the two of them were so tight. 

"They...they got into a bit of trouble earlier tonight with Bischoff and Morley," she explained. "I'm really surprised you didn't already know... Lita didn't tell you?" 

He shook his head. "No...not a thing. What happened?" 

The blonde sighed. "Oh, it's a long story...but anyway, Lita went to complain to Bischoff about her match against Torrie, but instead, she overheard the Dudleys being browbeaten, so she stood up for them. He then sent Morley after her - and that was when Edge stepped in. He beat up Morley, Bischoff found out, and now they have to face the Dudleys in a tag team table match..." 

"What?!" Jeff's face now looked full of rage as he absorbed all of Trish's words. "That's nuts! How can he put Lita in such a match?!" He clenched his hands into fists at his sides. 

"He's the boss," Trish said in annoyance, and she crossed her arms under her breasts. 

"We have to do something to stop Bischoff and his madness!" the rainbow-haired man cried, his expression angrier than the diva had ever seen. 

"I already offered to personally rip the bastard's balls off..." the little blonde announced. "But I'm afraid it would do Lita and Edge no good." 

"Well, the match _can't _take place, Trish - it _can't_! We have to do _something_!" 

"I'm all for taking action," the diva said, her brown eyes wide as she gazed into Jeff's clear green ones. "But what can we do?" 

The young man looked thoughtful for a moment as he looked at the floor before him in silence. Then, reaching over and grabbing hold of one of Trish's hands, he said, "I have an idea..." He began to elaborate on what the two of them could do to help their good friends. 

Jeff noted the way Trish's lovely eyes lit up while he explained, and his heart pitter-pattered away in his chest as he gazed at her. Then, a small, almost sly smile spread across her face. 

"That's the most fantastic idea, ever, Jeffrey..." 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 11**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

  


* * *

{Don't let the world bring you down   
Not everyone here is that fucked up and cold   
Remember why you came   
And while you're alive   
Experience the warmth   
Before you grow cold...} 

Lita felt as though she were actually near tears as she made her way alone down the ramp to the ring. Edge would be following her, and then the Dudley Boyz would be announced. 

Damn it... She ran both hands through her hair as she stood in one corner of the ring. She quickly exchanged glances with Lilian Garcia, and the little blonde gave her a look of tender concern. God, this was not right... 

A few minutes earlier, Eric Bischoff, Chief Morley at his side as usual, had come out to the entry ramp. On the mic he'd held, he'd announced that there would be a 'very special' match taking place that night - that the intergender tag team of Edge and herself would be facing the Dudleys in a table match. The fans had booed this news with considerable loudness. Obviously, they disapproved of the GM's brilliant idea that was this match. 

The strains of Rob Zombie's "Never Gonna Stop" blared throughout the arena following the seductive female voice uttering, "You think you know me..." The redhead kept her gaze trained on the curtain separating the entryway from the backstage area - and after a few seconds, she saw him. 

Edge stepped out from the back, and, even from this distance, Lita coudl see that from the expression on his face, he meant business. The blond man didn't bother with his usual entrance, forgoing playing up to the fans. Instead, the expression of concern still on his handsome face, he walked directly to the ring. 

As he approached her and came to stand directly in front of her, the Canadian placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. His eyes were still filled with tenderness and concern as he spoke softly to her. 

"Don't worry, Lita - I swear, I won't let them hurt you..." 

The redhead swallowed hard, then nodded. Although she trusted and believed him, and although D'Von and Bubba Ray were her friends, she still couldn't help her feeling of unease. What if Bischoff came out to be at ringside, or sent Morley to do that? Either way, there would be a 'cheerleader' around to bark orders to the Dudleys, no matter how much they didn't want to harm her. 

Lita swallowed hard again a moment later when, as Lilian announced them, the half-brothers from Dudleyville made their way out from the back and rushed to the ring. Her breath caught in her throat as she spotted Chief Morley and Eric Bischoff right behind them. 

Edge stepped protectively in front of the redhead as Bubba neared them, and the tall blond stared the man down. D'Von came to stand beside his brother, a look of concern on his face. It was evident that he, at least, didn't want any part of this match. 

Bischoff came to stand on the apron behind the Dudleys, a microphone clutched in his left hand. 

"All right, boys..." he began, a smug grin plastered to his face. "You know what you have to do..." Then, he hopped down to the arena floor to stand beside Morley in the Dudleys' corner. 

The bell rang, and no one moved a muscle for a beat, but as Lita gripped Edge's arm from behind, she felt the tall blond man stiffen somewhat. He was definitely ready to strike if either Bubba or D'Von made a move to attack. 

The Dudleys appeared reluctant to do anything. Both Edge and Lita were friends, not foes. The four wrestlers stared at one another in silence for a moment as the fans yelled and screamed from their seats. 

Lita prayed that the Dudley Boyz would see the situation the way _she _did - that all of this was sheer madness. It crossed her mind what a terrific thing it would be if she, Edge, Bubba and D'Von teamed up to physically turn on Bischoff and Morley. Was it possible the Dudleys weren't quite as loyal to Eric and his manipulation that they might listen to reason? She decided to find out. 

Shocking everyone, especially Edge and including herself, the daredevil redhead stepped forward and eyed each of the brothers, a nearly pleading quality in her hazel eyes. 

"Guys...Can't we be on the same side here? Those men," she said softly, pointing toward the two jerks on the outside, "are evil! We should fight _them_..." 

"What the _hell _is going on?" Bischoff suddenly snarled into his mic. "Now's your perfect opportunity - _grab _her, damn it!" 

D'Von turned to glance over his shoulder at the demanding General Manager while Bubba Ray kept his intense gaze on Lita. Nothing happened... 

But then, suddenly, with her guard down, the redhead was shocked as Bubba grabbed her by a handful of her hair. Her eyes went wide and her jaw dropped in all the surprise she felt. Edge, on the other hand, sprung into action and rushed to pummel the larger Dudley Boy, who, unfortunately, didn't release the diva just yet. 

After a beat, D'Von finally got into the action and hit Edge in the back with a double axe-handle. 

Eric Bischoff's laughter resounded throughout the arena as the chaos continued. 

To Lita, it was the loudest sound she'd ever heard... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 12**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	12. Chapter 12

  


* * *

"Damn it!" Trish cried as she stared in shock, dismay and anger at the TV monitor. "I honestly thought they wouldn't do anything!" 

"Well, blame that on those two idiots being there," Jeff said as he too eyed the monitor. At least, for the moment anyway, Edge had managed to make Bubba Ray Dudley release Lita. Luckily, D'Von Dudley still seemed totally unwilling to attack the redhead, so she'd been able to scramble to her and Edge's corner to safety. 

The rainbow-haired young man couldn't imagine a single scenario that would cause his tall blond friend to tag the diva into the action. No, Edge was too much of a chivalrous gentleman for that. The only way Lita would be tagged in was if she absolutely _insisted _upon it, or if that prick Bischoff forced a tag made. 

"When are we-" 

"As soon as the time is right, we'll know," Jeff replied before Trish could finish asking her question. 

The petite blonde nodded, her facial expression serious but focused. 

Damn that Eric Bischoff to hell... She should have _known _he would put in an appearance at ringside for Edge and Lita's match. The man was the type who enjoyed throwing his weight around, so it should have come as no surprise. And of _course _he had to have his good Chief Morley by his side as well... 

Trish crossed her arms under her breasts as she continued to stand beside Jeff, both of them concentrating on the action in the ring. Poor Edge was being double-teamed, and Lita was complaining to the referee - who was trying to literally push her back to her corner. 

The blonde diva winced as D'Von executed the trademark low-blow headbutt, but she knew that was nothing compared to the pain her fellow Torontonian was now experiencing. 

The tall blond man was writhing around on the canvas, and, by now, the referee had taken his attention off of Lita. However, he didn't see the Dudleys' double-team. 

Bubba, suddenly getting that look in his eye, shoved his half-brother in the chest with both hands. "D'Von - get the table!" 

As the other Dudley Boy ran out of the ring to comply with the ordered request, Bubba Ray, the crazed look still present on his face, slowly made his way to the redhead in the corner. 

Trish glanced quickly over at Jeff to see his reaction, and she wondered why the man hadn't yet given her the cue. 

Lita didn't back down an inch as Bubba approached her. Trish's guess was that the fiery high-flying diva _still _thought she could reason with the man. 

Bubba suddenly made a move, and the redhead raised her right arm and slapped the Dudley Boy hard across the face. The camera moved in close to reveal the anger she felt, and then shifted to a closeup of Bubba's expression. 

The man was in the middle of that typical orgasmic-like trance that was customary when he went after a woman to powerbomb through a table. 

It seemed as though Bubba was actually going to give up on grabbing Lita, and the diva rushed into the ring to check on Edge. As she knelt by his side, placing one hand gently on his shoulder, D'Von pushed the table into the ring under the bottom rope and hopped in after it. As he was setting the table up, Bubba made his move... 

Trish gasped in horror as the bigger Dudley Boy grabbed Lita by the hair from behind. The redhead's expression was shocked as she stood up with him, and apparently, she really hadn't expected him to go after her. 

Oh, God... The Dudleys were going to do it - they were going to put her through a table! With horror and striking clarity, Trish recalled the last time _she'd _been put through a table - she and Bubba Ray had teamed up against Jazz and Steven Richards in an intergender hardcore tag team match last year - Bubba had gotten sprayed in the face with a fire extinguisher, and, temporarily blinded, he'd mistakenly thought she was Jazz and powerbombed her through a table. 

"Jeff!" she cried, her eyes filling with horror as she watched the scene in the ring. 

"Let's go..." the Hardy Boy said firmly. 

* 

Lita felt as though she were dreaming. No - she felt as though she were in the middle of some nightmare sequence. 

Her good friends, the Dudleys, were going to hurt her. Even with those two assholes Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley here at ringside, the GM barking orders left and right, she'd never really expected them to really put her through a table. 

She felt herself being launched up into Bubba's arms, her legs going up around his shoulders, and she braced herself for it. She knew Edge was indisposed, as D'Von had taken care of him, so she squeezed her eyes tightly shut and waited for it to be over... 

Then, suddenly, somehow, she felt herself being released! On her feet now, the redhead opened her eyes - and saw Edge battling with D'Von. 

And Jeff - her best friend was punching Bubba Ray! Trish was standing nearby, and she rushed to Lita's side. 

She'd been rescued... 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 13**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	13. Chapter 13

  


* * *

It was utter chaos in the ring. The referee had called for the bell, ruling the match a no-contest rather than a disqualification. No matter - Lita was just relieved it was over. 

That was an understatement. The match might have been over, but the battle sure as hell wasn't. 

Edge was still exchanging blows with D'Von, and Jeff and Bubba were locked up on the opposite side of the ring. 

Lita and Trish exchanged glances. They were at one side, trying their best to stay out of the action, but then the redhead suddenly realized they had company. 

Eric Bischoff and Chief Morley had climbed up onto the apron, and now they stepped into the ring, evidently to get in the women's faces. 

At the corner of her eye, Lita noticed the way the Chief of Staff was attempting to grab Trish. However, the little blonde reached up and slapped her one-time charge across the face - hard. 

Meanwhile, Bischoff was attempting to intimidate _her_. 

"Think you're so clever, do you? You're nothing but a troublesome, meddling bitch!" he yelled in her face. Because he'd dropped the microphone he'd been holding earlier, only she could hear him. 

The man suddenly made a move to grab her, but Lita countered quickly and easily, giving him a good, swift kick downstairs. Bischoff doubled over in pain, groaning loudly and clutching himself. 

As Lita was satisfied with herself and with what she'd done, she saw Trish execute a picture perfect Stratusfaction on that other jackass, Morley. 

"You _go_, girl!" she cried, and she and the Canadian diva high-fived each other. Quickly, the redheaded diva spotted a movement nearby, and Trish cried out to her. 

"Lita, look out!" 

She scrambled out of the way just in time to avoid a punch from the General Manager - the bastard had actually attempted to take a swing at her! 

As the blonde diva glared at the wretched man with consternation, the redhead swiftly climbed up the nearest turnbuckle. While Trish had him distracted, Lita suddenly leapt, taking the asshole down with her patented hurricanrana. For extra good measure, she made sure to land him on his head. The sound of him landing hard on the canvas was extremely satisfying to her. Trish gestured with pointing fingers, a huge smile on her pretty face as she vigorously nodded her approval. 

Chief Morley was just getting to his feet, his hand mere inches from Trish's ankle. The blonde was completely oblivious at this point, but fortunately, Jeff sprang into action. The rainbow-haired Hardy Boy, having taken care of Bubby Ray Dudley for the moment, delivered a dropkick to Morley, foiling his ambush. 

The petite diva turned around sharply, her brown eyes wide as she realized what had just happened - and what _might _have happened if it hadn't been for Jeff. 

By now, Edge had battered D'Von enough to cause the other Dudley to retreat to the outside of the ring with his brother. The two half-siblings exchanged glances, and D'Von began shouting to Bubba. To Lita's ears, she could make out that he was distinctly telling the bigger man that they should have gone along with _her _idea of banding together. Bubba Ray appeared to be considering the option, then instead gave D'Von a backhand on the chest. 

"C'mon, let's get out of here..." 

As the Dudleys began to make their way toward the ramp, they turned to stare back toward the ring. They eyed the four people standing strong and tall and offered nods of appreciation. Then, after D'Von gave a cursory glance at Chief Morley, who was laid out on the arena floor nearby, the Dudleys turned and made their way backstage. 

Lita looked up at Edge, who had suddenly sidled up to her. The tall blond man took hold of her hand, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Somehow, the redhead managed to offer him a tiny smile. 

On the other side of her, Jeff had an arm wrapped protectively around Trish, the blonde diva still looking a bit shaken up. 

The four of them had won and walked out unscathed - _this _time... 

  
  
  
  
  
  


**Part 14**

**Back**   
  
  
  
  



	14. Chapter 14

____________________________________________ 

Eric Bischoff was so furious his face was red as he and Chief Morley made their way to the back. 

He tore at his hair as he recalled how the two divas in particular had made a fool of him. That did _not_ sit well with him - it was one thing for Edge and Jeff Hardy - or even the Dudleys - to rough him up and make him look stupid, but at least _they_ were _men_. It was something else altogether for Lita or the petite Trish Stratus, for crying out loud, to beat him up. 

"Damn them to hell!" Eric shouted, clenching both hands into fists, his body actually shaking as he and Morley continued down the hall to his office. "Damn them _all_ to hell! The Dudleys are gonna pay for not getting the job done... Jeff Hardy and Edge are _finished_! Oh, and those two _bitches_...?" The General Manager smiled cruelly as he met his right-hand man's shocked gaze. "They're _mine_..." 

Chief Morley arched an eyebrow at those last two words, a slow, crooked smile forming on his face as he considered the implications of the threat. Bischoff definitely sounded like he meant business. He wondered exactly what the GM had in mind and decided it _had_ to be something good for his boss, yet bad for the ladies. 

As the two men finally reached the office, Morley asked, "What do you have in mind, boss?" 

Bischoff sat down heavily on the big chair at the equally spacious desk. 

"Oh, I'll have plans for them yet...Don't you worry about _that_, Chief... And _especially_ for Lita..." he spat, putting an unpleasant emphasis on the redheaded diva's name. 

Morley stood near the door, his arms crossed as he thought about the situation. Come to think of it, he himself was pretty angry about what had happened out there, too. Those damn Dudleys were supposed to listen to Mr. Bischoff and comply with his orders by taking out the meddlesome Lita and her new savior, Edge. 

The Chief scowled as he thought about his fellow Torontonian. The bastard... Earlier that night, of course, Edge had tried to beat the holy hell out of him - when, in fact, he'd butted in on some stuff that was none of his business. Oh, sure, he'd been manhandling that redheaded bitch, but she'd _deserved_ it. Besides, he'd only been following Bischoff's orders. 

And then, that damn Jeff Hardy - the colorful, Manic Panic-haired, black nailpolish-wearing freak, and that blonde bitch Trish Stratus, had come out and ruined _everything_. It was bad enough that D'Von Dudley had been refusing to comply with getting the table so Bubba Ray could powerbomb Lita through it, but those two coming on the scene had only made things worse. 

Trish Stratus... If there was one person Chief Morley held more contempt for than anyone else, it was _her_. The little blonde had always been trouble, and had always caused him grief. Ever since she'd fucked up at SummerSlam three years earlier, causing him to lose the Intercontinental Championship to Chyna - another _woman_ - she'd been nothing but a thorn in his side. Hell, she'd probably deliberately lost the match just so the raven-haired diva could have the title! God, how he hated Trish... 

He decided that, if Bischoff didn't have something really tormentous in mind for the little blonde, _he_ might just take hold of the reins in that department himself...   
  
  


Part 15 

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	15. Chapter 15

____________________________________________ 

The four wrestlers made their way to the backstage area with a combination of emotions running through each of them - relief, triumph, pride at having stood up to their tormentors... worry about what the repercussions of their actions might be. 

"Whoo! I have to admit - _that_ was a real rush!" Trish exclaimed, a grin on her pretty face. She pumped one fist high in the air above her head, glad that she'd put that idiot Chief Morley in his place. The truth was, ever since he'd turned on her back when he'd lost the Intercontinental title while under her tutelage, she'd wanted to give him what-for. Actually, what she'd really wanted to give him was a fat lip... 

What she'd dished out to the man tonight was definitely more than sufficient. 

Lita was slightly less enthusiastic than her blonde Canadian friend. 

"I don't like this..." she admitted, her hazel eyes glancing around furtively. 

"Li, there's no one comin' after us," Jeff said calmly. 

The redhead looked up at him. 

"I know that, Jeff...It's just that...Well," she continued with a shrug, "this just seems too easy...Know what I mean?" 

Edge nodded. 

"I know _exactly_ what you mean...Those two scumbags aren't going to let us get away with what happened tonight..." 

"Right..." Lita said, nodding, her gaze fixed on the green eyes of the tall blond man. "Bischoff and Morley aren't going to take it sitting down - they'll undoubtedly plan a means of revenge - and try to carry it out against us..." 

Trish eyed each of them in turn, her happiness fading along with her smile. All the petite blonde had been able to see for the very moment was what they'd done, and how it made her feel - not the ramifications that would more than likely come later on... 

As the four of them continued to the women's locker room, Trish pouted. 

"Damn...you two are just raining _all_ over my parade!" 

"Trish, they've got a point..." Jeff said resignedly. "You know Bischoff's not gonna let us get away with what we did - especially seeing as how the Dudleys turned against them..." 

Now standing just outside the door of the women's locker room, the group stood silent and pensive for a beat. 

Finally, Trish's voice broke the silence. 

"So, what are we going to do about it?" 

Each of them glanced from one to another, then to another. 

"I'll tell you what we're going to do..." Edge said, his firm jaw set, eyes gleaming with determination. "We're going to prepare ourselves..." the tall Canadian answered, then his finger pointed around to each of them. "The four of us - we're a clique...We're going to be ready for Mr. Bischoff and Chief Morley..." 

Lita nodded, her expression serious. 

"I like that idea...We _are_ a clique. We're _The_ Clique...And now you're talking sense..." 

Trish nodded, then shifted her brown eyes over to Jeff. The colorful-haired young man was gazing intently into her eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. Afterward, the four of them touched hands in a clannish way - and The Clique was born...   
  
  


Part 16 

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	16. Chapter 16

____________________________________________ 

Lita and Jeff rode back to the hotel in relative silence. 

The two friends were each consumed by their own thoughts over what had happened earlier that night on RAW... A new pact, a new faction, had been formed. They, along with Edge and Trish, had decided to call their little group 'The Clique' - and they'd united as a result of taking a stand against injustic - and _for_ the 'little guy,' so to speak. 

"We should convince Bubba and D'Von to join us..." Lita suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. 

Jeff turned his colorful head to eye his friend with surprise. He wondered why he hadn't even thought of such a thing. 

Lita continued steering the rental car, her eyes focused on the road ahead as she went on. 

"They're sick of listening to Bischoff and Morley - I _know_ it, Jeff...Their actions tonight spoke volumes louder than their words when I overheard their conversation with Eric and Chief Morley..." 

"Li - those guys are scared to death of risking their jobs - they probably had a momentary slipup, if you will..." the younger Hardy brother said. "How the heck are we gonna convince them to join up with us?" 

"Oh, I don't think they'll need too much convincing..." the redhead stated confidently, a grin now taking residence on her lovely face. "Did you see the way they stepped past Bischoff and Morley when you and Trish came out to help Edge and me?" 

"Well...yeah," Jeff admitted. 

"Yeah - and when the two jerks were on my case when I stepped in to defend them, Bubba and D'Von wanted to stay and help me..." 

"But Li, they _didn't_..." 

"No, but they turned to look back..." the redhead pointed out. "That's something..." 

"Okay...I'll give you that..." the rainbow-headed young man agreed. 

There was a comfortable silence between the two friends for awhile as each thought about their current situations - and about their counterparts, Edge and Trish. 

Lita smiled as she thought about the tall, handsome blond Canadian. He really did _care_... Just when she'd gotten into a pickle of trouble with Bischoff and Morley, Edge had come through for her. He'd rescued her... And she was so grateful toward him. 

Jeff smiled as he gazed out the passenger's side window, the beautiful Trish consuming his thoughts. In his humble opinion, they made quite the team as of late. Just... if only he could garner up the nerve to tell her how he really felt. What was truly in his heart was _her_... He wanted in the worst way to tell her that Torrie Wilson had never meant a damn thing to him - how, when the trashy blonde had been all over him two years earlier, he'd never kissed her back - had no _intention_ of kissing her back. Jeff knew that Trish liked him - perhaps even a _lot_... So, why did he find it so difficult to tell her the truth about how he felt toward her? 

He was suddenly roused from his reverie as a tiny chuckle escaped Lita. 

"What?" 

"Nothing..." the redhead replied. "I was just thinking about Edge..." 

"Is that so?" Jeff asked, one eyebrow cocked as he eyed her. A tiny, almost sly smile spread across his face. 

"Yeah...same as _you_ were just thinking about Trish..." 

The colorful-haired man gave a look of surprise. He'd forgotten how good the redhead was at reading his mind. 

Grinning, he reached over to give her a playful nudge...   
  
  


Part 17 

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	17. Chapter 17

The moment Lita and Jeff got settled in their hotel room, the redhead had made up her mind... 

She was going to at least make an attempt to appeal to the Dudleys... 

Bubba Ray and D'Von had been friends of hers for so long - their friendship went back to their ECW days. Lita had deemed them close pals even despite all the insane stunts they'd pulled. She'd been in complete and utter shock the night they'd set a table covered with tacks on fire and powerbombed Balls Mahoney through it - although the act had been sickening, for lack of a better description, they'd still been her friends... They'd never looked at her as being weak just because she happened to be a woman - they'd always respected her and let her be what she was, do whatever she pleased. Other male friends of hers _had_ - including her lovely ex-boyfriend, Matt Hardy... 

Now, as the redhead stood outside the hall in front of the door the brothers were sharing, she knocked. All of these memories and thoughts of her long friendship with Bubba and D'Von remained crystal clear in her mind. 

After a few seconds, the door was opened, and D'Von stared at her in surprise. 

"Lita...Girl, what a surprise..." He took gentle hold of her arm, ushered her inside, then stuck his head out as though to be sure this wasn't a ploy of some kind. When he'd made certain all was clear and that Lita was alone, the man shut the door and turned to her. 

Lita was standing very still in her tracks, facing toward the interior of the room. 

Bubba Ray Dudley sat up in one of the beds, relaxing - and eyeing her intently. After a beat, he leapt up. 

"D'Von, what's _she_ doing here? Who told you to let her in?" he demanded, a frown dominating his face. 

"Bubba, calm down..." the redhead began, her hands out in an appeasing manner. "I just wanted to talk to you guys..." 

"About what?" he asked suspiciously. 

She sighed, raking a hand through her hair. It saddened her that this man, who'd once been such a close friend, was now mistrusting her. 

"Well, for starters, I wanted to thank you for helping us out tonight..." She glanced from Bubba to D'Von and back again. 

There was a brief silence until D'Von spoke. 

"We should thank _her_, too, Bubba...She stood up to that fool Bischoff for us..." Then, before his brother could say anything in response to that, he turned to the diva. "Thank you, Lita..." 

The redhead smiled. At least D'Von hadn't grown chilly toward her... 

Bubba Ray still eyed her with a measure of suspicion as she spoke again. 

"I actually also came to ask you two something..." 

"What is it?" 

"Well...As you could plainly see tonight," Lita began, "Jeff, Trish, Edge and I have all had enough of Bischoff and Morley's reign of terror...The four of us have formed a little group, and...seeing as how you guys have been treated by them for awhile now, I wanted to ask..." She focused her gaze on Bubba as she continued. "...if you would join us..." 

Bubba Ray looked thoughtful for a moment, not speaking as he mulled it over. The redhead took this as promising - after all, he hadn't just blurted 'no' right after her question. 

Then, as she was still gazing hopefully at the man, he finally answered. 

"No...No way..." 

Part 18 

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	18. Chapter 18

____________________________________________ 

Eric Bischoff wore a smug grin on his face as he finished writing a document on his desk. 

He hadn't forgotten the defiance of a few superstars in particular as of late. A certain redhead, more than anyone else, was the most irritating thorn in his side. And her dashing blond Canadian prince was a close second. 

Well, he would take care of them. And he was going to do it _tonight_. 

Bischoff picked up his cell phone, flipped it open and dialed Chief Morley. He smiled when his right-hand man picked up on the other end. 

"Got a little proposition for you, Chief...Yeah, I'll discuss it when you get here." 

Soon after, the General Manager ended the call and flipped the phone to a close. Oh, he was positively brewing with ideas tonight. He had tons of them, but he wanted to be sure to utilize those he considered the best. 

He had a little something in mind for the Dudleys as well, as per usual, but maybe that could go to the backburner for now. Lita, Edge, Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus were bigger problems at the moment. 

"You wanted to see me, sir?" 

Bischoff looked up as Chief Morley stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. The man looked expectantly at him. 

"Yes, and thanks for coming so quickly," the GM said, and he rose from his big, cushy chair. Instead of remaining seated, he optioned to pace back and forth in front of his desk. 

Morley arched a brow, a tiny smile coming to him at the realization that this was going to be good... 

"Question - how would you like to compete in a match tonight?" Bischoff asked. 

The Chief of Staff was only slightly surprised by the question. 

"A match for me, huh? And what exactly do you have in mind?" 

The General Manager looked the other man in the eye and smiled. 

"How'd you like a match against Edge?" 

Now it was Chief Morley's turn to smile broadly, only his grin came out a little crooked. 

"Me versus Edge? Now, that sounds pretty interesting..." the Canadian said. "Yeah, I like that idea," he said, nodding. 

"Great - I _thought_ you would," Bischoff said. "And I'll tell you what I'll do..." he continued. "I will give you any type of match you want - you name it." 

Chief Morley began to chuckle. His boss sometimes surprised him. It was pretty much on a daily basis that he found more and more reasons to admire Eric Bischoff. 

"Sounds great...I'll think of what kind of match I'd like against lovely Lita's knight in shining armor and get back to you." 

"Sure thing, Chief - just do it within the first hour of the SmackDown taping, because the match will happen sometime around then..."   
  
  


Part 19 

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	19. Chapter 19

"I have a bad feeling about tonight..." Lita said as she looked up from the bag through which she was rummaging. 

Trish glanced up at her as she came up with a sparkly red tank top to wear with her matching pants. 

"I know what you mean. I think it's to be expected if-" The little blonde her words off with a shriek as the door was suddenly thrust open. Instinctively, she raised the shirt she was holding up to her chest, as a bra was the only garment she wore up there. 

"Hello, ladies..." Chief Morley said n a mocking tone that was identical to how he used to say it when he'd been known as Val Venis, the porn star. "Don't worry, Trish," he said, pointedly glaring at his former manager. "Those are nothing I - _or_ the _rest_ of the world hasn't seen before." 

The redhead glared daggers into the man and stepped a foot closer to him. She'd leapt up from where she'd been sitting the instant the door had opened. Fortunately for her, unlike Trish, she hadn't been in the process of changing. 

"What do you want, Morley?" Lita stood just in front of the doorway, one hand on her hip as she waited impatiently. She refused to move out of the way and allow the bastard entrance into the room. "Hey, Red, calm down... Don't get your thong in knots." 

The diva narrowed her eyes at him, about two seconds away from punching his lights out. She did not like him calling her 'Red,' as it was a nickname reserved only for her friends with which to refer to her. Likewise, she didn't like Morley making reference to her underwear - the pervert! 

"What do you want?!" she repeated, her voice increased in volume this time around. 

"It's not what _I_ want... Mr. Bischoff has requested the presence of your little group - your boyfriends are already in his office." 

Despite herself, Lita actually blushed at the jerk's reference of Edge and Jeff as her and Trish's 'boyfriends.' 

"Fine... Can I get _dressed_ first?" the little blonde demanded, her expression murderous as she glared at Chief Morley. 

"Not a problem," the Canadian said, putting his hands up. "I'll wait out here for you ladies." 

The moment the door was closed, Lita stepped up to it and turned the metal lock on the side of the doorhandle. 

"The _nerve_ of that loser!" Trish muttered. 

The redhead shook her head. 

"It's no surprise he thought he could get a free show..." She crossed back to her in-ring garments, which she'd left on top of her open bag and proceeded to change. 

The petite blonde quickly slipped her tank top over her head. 

"I wonder what Bischoff wants from us _now_...?" 

"My guess is he's going to put us in some kind of stupid match to punish us for what we did." 

Trish made a face. 

"That _sounds_ like something he would do - look at what he's been doing to the Dudleys." 

A moment later, the two divas were finished, and although they didn't _want_ to, went out to meet Morley. 

The Chief of Staff grinned at both women, winking lasciviously at Trish as his gaze lowered to her chest. The little blonde glared at him with disgust, her jaw dropping. Somehow, she refrained from both telling off the pig and slapping him. 

"Here we are," the man sang as they reached the General Manager's office. Sure enough, Edge and Jeff were already inside, the two men standing in front of Bischoff's desk. Neither looked happy as the GM gave them a verbal lashing. 

"Mr. Bischoff, I've come with the ladies..." 

The tall blond man and the younger Hardy brother turned to see Lita and Trish with Morley. Edge's expression softened for a beat as his gaze fell on the redhead. 

"Ahh, Lita, Trish... Good that you could join us." The General Manager grinned smugly, and it took everything she had for the redhead not to go up to him and slap him silly. 

"You two are just in time - I was about to tell your friends here-" He gestured toward the guys. "-About their matches for tonight... Now you," he continued, glaring at Jeff Hardy, "will be facing the Dudleys in a handicap match..." 

Jeff's already annoyed face became even more angry. 

Trish became fearful as she heard his fate. She turned her head to look from the despicable GM to the rainbow-haired young man. 

"You - Edge..." Bischoff continued. 

The tall Canadian glared at the man but stood up straight as he waited to hear what was in store for him. 

"You'll be facing Chief Morley tonight..." 

"Is that so? Because I'll _enjoy_ taking him apart - piece-by-piece..." Edge shifted his angry green gaze to the Chief of Staff, who stared at him with shock. 

"Oh, I wouldn't be so confident if I were you - because it's going to be a street fight." The GM laughed. "You two," he said, shifting his beady eyes to Lita and Trish. "You'll be facing _each other_ - in a bra and panties _mud_ match..." 

The four wrestlers eyed the man with hatred as he laughed it up, Morley's guffaws following. 

Part 20 

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	20. Chapter 20

The four members of the newly-formed faction The Clique left Eric Bischoff's office thoroughly infuriated. 

Trish seemed to be the one to get most hot under the collar first. 

"Damn bastard!" she cried, her pretty face a mask of indignation. She found herself horribly worried for Jeff, who seemed to receive the worst fate of the four of them. Sure, the match she and Lita had been booked in would be humiliating - and Edge shouldn't have much of a problem against Chief Morley - but the younger Hardy brother could have his hands more than full. If Bubba Ray and D'Von went along with Bischoff's plan... She shuddered to think about it. Of course, the odds were great that they _would_ comply with the General Manager's wishes - after all, Lita had told her that while D'Von had been pretty cordial with her, his brother hadn't been quite so warm, not by a longshot. 

"Are you going to be okay?" Lita's questioning voice cut into the blonde diva's thoughts as she gazed up at Edge with intense hazel eyes. His Street Fight against the GM's right-hand man would be up next. She placed a hand on the tall blond man's shoulder. 

"I'll be fine," he assured her, his jaw set firmly. "And what's more, I am going to beat Morley's ass!" He rubbed his large hands together, an almost wicked gleam in his emerald eyes as a grin spread across his face. Despite the fact that Bischoff had issued a stipulation in both his and Jeff's matches that none of the other members of The Clique could interfere and assist them, he would _enjoy_ making the Chief of Staff feel a world of pain. 

"I can't believe that bastard is making you ladies fight in such a stupid match!" Jeff exclaimed, his face angry as he looked from the redhead to Trish. 

"You mean such a _sickening_ and _degrading_ match, Jeff," Lita corrected. 

"He's doing it to get his jollies by seeing two women pawing at each other in a tub of mud!" the petite blonde said with disgust. "Maybe it's something to do with the fact that no woman in her right _or_ wrong mind would ever give him the time of day..." 

"We could protest taking part in the match," Lita suggested. 

"It wouldn't do any good other than to give Bischoff an excuse for firing us," the blonde pointed out. "That pig!" 

"Aside from the two of you being degraded, I think Jeff is the one in the most trouble here," Edge spoke, the tall blond man mirroring Trish's exact thoughts. "Since none of _us_ can help him, maybe we can ask someone else to lend a hand - a friend we know we can trust..." 

"Like who?" the colorful-haired young man asked. "Until recently, I've pretty much been a loner. I can't think of anyone who'd be wantin' so badly to help me out." He shook his head, his shaggy locks shaking in the process as well. "I was cool with Shawn Michaels and RVD for awhile, but that was before I kicked Shawn and hit Rob with a chair," he continued, bowing his head out of embarrassment. "I doubt either of them would stick their necks out for me after _that_." 

"Shit..." Trish said, her brown eyes full of concern. "Well, we can't just let you go into that match against the Dudleys empty-handed!" 

"Or," Edge spoke, eyeing each of the others in turn, "we can appeal to Bubba and D'Von. They really aren't happy going along with Bischoff's orders - and Lita _did_ say that D'Von was nice to her and seemed willing to join us." 

The redhead frowned, shaking her head. 

"It doesn't matter, Edge - Bubba was pretty adamantly against that - and he's pretty much the leader between the two of them." 

The tall blond man ran a hand through his long hair and held it there for a beat as he thought furiously. Then, he snapped his fingers and looked up. 

"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "Spike... _Spike_ is the answer!" 

Jeff, Lita and Trish all eyed him questioningly. 

"Spike is close with his brothers again and has been for awhile now," Edge explained. "Maybe we can get him to convince Bubba." 

Trish nodded, her gaze traveling from Edge to Jeff. 

"I guess it's worth a shot..." 

Part 21 

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	21. Chapter 21

"Oh, my brother!" D'Von Dudley exclaimed as he and Bubba Ray sat watching a TV monitor in their locker room. "This is just not right... No matter how much I enjoy looking at these lovely ladies, it's not right!" 

Bubba's gaze was fixed to the scene of Lita and Trish Stratus in a tub of mud, both divas stripped down to their bras and panties. They were wrestling, as the General Manager had so ordered, but their efforts definitely seemed half-hearted at best. He realized that D'Von was right - the two women were being humiliated, and all for the sake of Eric Bischoff's satisfaction and over-abuse of power - not unlike what had been done to _them_ for the last couple of months. 

"Bubba," his brother spoke again, drawing his attention momentarily away from the TV screen, "I think we should join The Clique." 

Bubba Ray arched a brow at D'Von's words, although he wasn't really surprised by them. His brother had definitely been warm and welcoming toward Lita when the redhead had come to see them the other day - not at all like himself. And damn if he didn't feel like the world's biggest jerk for being so cold toward the diva. Lita was their friend, and she'd gone so far as to get herself into trouble by sticking up for them that night when she'd come upon them in the midst of their argument with Bischoff and Morley. And how had he repaid her for that? He'd nearly put her through a table and then snapped at her when she'd later asked him and D'Von to join their faction... _That's_ how he'd repaid her. He loathed himself for that. 

"Look at this!" 

Bubba Ray's line of vision followed his brother's pointing finger toward the television monitor. At this point, Lita and Trish had stopped brawling, although apparently neither had won the so-called 'match.' The referee was arguing to them that they had to finish and there had to be a winner, but neither the redhead nor the little blonde seemed to care. In fact, the two women looked to be departing the area - until suddenly, Eric Bischoff himself appeared, the GM's music blaring throughout the arena. 

"Bischoff doesn't look too happy, does he?" the big man asked rhetorically, his gaze never wavering from the screen. 

"No, he doesn't, my brother," D'Von replied. 

In a flash, the General Manager approached the two divas, who, by now, had begun making their way up the entry ramp. 

"What the hell do you two think you're doing?" Eric shouted, his face furious as he held a microphone up to his lips. "You didn't finish the match - now get back down there!" In his anger, the GM grabbed Lita by the arm, but that proved to be a mistake, as the redhead pulled back and slapped him without fear. 

The General Manager's head reeled with the impact of the blow, but it only served to make him more angry. 

"You bitch! You'll pay for that! You _and_ you!" This time, Bischoff pointed at Trish. He began to force the two divas back to the vat full of mud, attempting to intimidate them as he continued to yell into the mic. 

The Dudleys watched as the two women reluctantly crept back to their tub of humiliation, Bischoff still shouting at them. 

"Now - get in there! I'm not leaving until there's a winner - and neither are _you_!" The General Manager gestured to the referee, who called for the bell from the timekeeper. 

Lita and Trish exchanged glances, then the Canadian diva stepped into the vat. Meanwhile, the redhead seemed to be lingering, and Bubba Ray couldn't help but wonder why. 

Then, as Eric continued to verbally berate the fiery high-flying diva, the Dudley Boy realized his suspicions had some ground - because, in a flash, Lita shoved Bischoff right into the mud, the man quickly getting soiled, clothes, hair, microphone and all. 

And then, Trish Stratus delivered a Chick Kick to the GM, the little blonde letting out an audible snarl as she dropped to her knees to shove the boss' face under the mud. Lita joined her friend in the tub and punched the bastard. 

"Atta girls!" D'Von shouted as though the two feisty divas could hear him. He glanced over at Bubba, surprised to note the smile on the big man's face. 

He nodded, laughing. The fact that his brother was smiling with approval and Lita and Trish's actions could only be a _good_ thing... 

Part 22 

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	22. Chapter 22

Lita and Trish were laughing as they made their way backstage, the two divas holding hands.

The little blonde was practically jumping up and down with glee.

"That was awesome!" she exclaimed, releasing her friend's hand and clapping her own together. "We sure taught Eric a lesson!"

The redhead grinned, nodding.

"I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed that." She turned her head, looking up at the sound of the voice that had just issued her name. Just beyond, Edge and Jeff were rushing toward them in the hallway.

Trish giggled again, throwing her arms around the colorful-haired young man, covering his clothing with mud in the process.

"Oops... God, Jeff, I'm sorry!"

Lita had just about forgotten that she and the blonde were only in their bras and panties - until the tall blond man's gaze was suddenly sweeping over her from head-to-toe and back up again.

The redhead blushed and shoved some strands of her long hair behind her ears. Meanwhile, Edge reluctantly tore his eyes from her curvy body. Given his feelings for the high-flying diva, that was no easy task.

"Way to go, ladies," the Canadian said, a small smile gracing his lips. His fond gaze was still exclusively on Lita, though now focused on her eyes.

Trish grinned up Jeff, still in his arms, as the young man seemed reluctant to release her despite the mud mishap. Not that the little blonde diva minded.

"Actually," the redhead said softly, "I'm a little worried all of a sudden."

"Why?" The question came from the petite Canadian, who looked over her shoulder at her. A tiny pout crossed her face. It seemed as though everyone else always wanted to rain on her happy parade.

"After what just happened, Bischoff is going to be even more hell-bent on destroying us," Lita went on. "But I'm not worried about us so much as I am about you guys..." Her intense hazel gaze traveled back to Edge, fixing on his brilliant green eyes.

The tall blond man cocked his head to one side, noting the look of extreme concern in the diva's eyes. Gently, he reached out and tenderly placed a hand against her cheek.

"We'll be okay, Lita - I promise. I'm a lot more concerned with you... Let Bischoff throw everything but the kitchen sink at me if he likes," Edge said. "But I'll be damned if I let him do anything more to hurt you."

Again, the redheaded diva forgot that she was standing here in the arena hallway wearing only her undergarments. The Canadian's hand on her cheek felt so tender, and he rubbed his thumb softly over her skin. Intense emotions swept through Lita as she kept up the steady eye contact with Edge. Damn it, she didn't want to see him have to compete in a Street Fight against Chief Morley. She wouldn't put it past Bischoff to stack the odds against the blond man after the way she and Trish had just humiliated him.

Reluctantly, the Canadian removed his hand from the diva's face.

"You'd better go to the locker room and get showered and dressed," he said. "My match and Jeff's are coming up very soon."

The redhead nodded, managing to tear her gaze from him to Trish and the younger Hardy.

"You be careful out there, Jeffrey..."

Lita cast one last gaze at Edge, butterflies in her stomach, before she and the other diva left.

Part 23

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	23. Chapter 23

Lita was a bundle of nerves as she, Trish and Jeff sat backstage, eyes glued to the television monitor. Edge's match against Chief Morley was about to begin. 

The redhead was apprehensive as to what might occur during the bout. Even though D-Von had been nice to her, she couldn't shake the feeling that the Dudley Boyz would somehow get involved. 

She bit her lip, mentally cursing herself. This was all her fault. If she'd only kept her nose out of the argument between the Dudleys and Bischoff, none of this mess would have happened. Despite her good intentions in standing up for her friends, she'd managed to get other friends into hot water. It wasn't fair that she'd dragged Trish, Jeff and Edge into this. 

"Li?" Jeff asked, and she met his expressive green eyes. "Are you okay?" 

She shook her head and sighed. 

"No... not really, Jeff." She bit her lip again to stifle the tears she could feel wanting to form and break free. Her colorful-haired friend's handicap match had not yet happened, but she felt so horribly guilty knowing how badly beaten he'd no doubt be. 

"Lita, Edge will be fine," Trish assured her. "He's tough as nails - not to mention going up against Morley, of all people." The little blonde made a face, complete with a roll of her brown eyes. "Hey," she went on as she reached out to lay her hand on the redhead's shoulder, "I could kick Morley's ass in a street fight!" She nudged the other woman, and, somehow, Lita managed a tiny smile. 

"Yeah," Jeff agreed. "If Trish can bust Victoria's nose in a hardcore match, she could definitely take Chief Morley! He's not half as tough as psycho Victoria!" 

Trish giggled, and the younger Hardy Boy chuckled as well. 

"Besides," the blonde diva added, "if we see Edge getting into real trouble, we'll just run out there to lend him a hand." 

"And then Bischoff makes our lives even more miserable," the redhead muttered. 

Trish shrugged. 

"Whatever he does, it couldn't be any worse than what he's probably already planned for us after we shoved him in mud like the pig he is!" 

Lita cocked her head as she eyed her friend and fellow diva. Well, Trish did have a point there. No doubt, the General Manager was already plotting his next scheme. Her gaze quickly returned to the TV monitor. 

Edge was in the ring, a fire extinguisher in hand as Chief Morley made his entrance. The former Val Venis had a microphone in his hand, and he held it up to his lips. 

"You know what? I'm pretty sick and tired of you, Edge!" he shouted. "And I can't tell you how happy I am that Mr. Bischoff hand-picked me to put you in your place, you pretty boy punk!" With that, the man let the microphone drop with a resounding thud and ran to the ring - only to be met with the fire extinguisher foam in the eyes. 

Morley stumbled around for a moment as Edge snatched up a trash can lid. As the chief of staff turned toward him, arms spread out and blindly searching, a manic gleam entered the tall blond man's eyes, and then - Edge smashed Morley over the head with the lid. 

After a moment, the Chief managed to roll out of the ring, shaking his head as his eyes slowly cleared. His back was toward his opponent, so Edge was unable to see that he'd picked up the object nearest him. 

Wham! Chief Morley surprised Edge with a steel chair-shot to the head, the tall blond man instantly collapsing to the arena floor. 

Lita let out a horrified gasp at the impact, and then she noticed the blood... Edge had been busted open. 

"Oh, no!" She sprang to his feet, the only thing on her mind going out there to help Edge in any way she could. 

"Wait!" Jeff cried, his finger pointing to the screen. 

To the redhead's further horror, the Dudleys had suddenly appeared at ringside. The pair snuck up behind the fallen blond Canadian, Chief Morley grinning like an idiot as he noticed them. 

But then, in a shocking move, Bubba and D-Von snatched the chief of staff - 3D-ing him on the floor. 

As Lita, Jeff and Trish gaped in surprise, D-Von tossed a table into the ring. Bubba dragged Morley into the squared circle - when the Dudleys powerbombed the GM's right-hand man into the table. 

Edge was just rousing in time to see the fallen Morley, then D-Von and Bubba going out of the ring - where, to his shock, they helped him up. Realizing the Dudleys had just helped him, the blond man went for the cover. The referee counted three, then signaled for the bell. As Edge was announced the winner, the two other men again helped him to his feet, each holding up one of his hands in victory. 

Part 24

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	24. Chapter 24

Eric Bischoff was fuming as he marched from the ring back to the backstage area. 

Shortly after the chaos that had just transpired, he'd run out to check on his Chief of Staff. Medical personnel were tending to Morley in preparation to rush him out of the arena and to a hospital. 

The other three were nowhere to be found - so he guessed as to where they would be. Edge had taken a big bump during the match and had been busted open for that. Bischoff was glad - the bastard deserved that and so much more after all the trouble he'd caused. And so, the General Manager bounded to the trainer's room, his suspicions confirmed as he spotted the blond man inside, getting stitched up. He wasn't alone, either. 

"Hey!" Eric yelled, ignoring Edge and Lita - the redhead was also there and holding the Canadian's hand - for the moment. He directed his angry voice and eyes and Bubba Ray and D'Von Dudley, who happened to be just beyond the doorway. "What the hell is with you two? Who the hell do you think you are, defying me?! I'm Eric Bischoff, damn it! I-" 

"You are a giant piece of crap!" Bubba howled, stepping closer to the GM and pointing a finger into the man's face. Eric's eyes visibly widened at not only the Dudley Boy's words, but the gesture as well. 

"You dare?!" 

Bubba edged closer still to Bischoff, and this time, D'Von did the same, his arms crossed over his chest as the two visibly intimidated the smaller man. 

"I suggest you get the hell out of here, Bischoff," the larger Dudley said in a low, warning tone. 

Eric found himself backing away some more, and he soon found himself out of the trainer's room doorway and out in the arena hallway. 

"Get your sniveling ass outta here!" Bubba shouted, his face angry. 

"Now, Bubba..." Bischoff said evenly as he continued to back away. The GM put up both hands in a defensive manner, as though fearful of the big man striking him. It didn't happen, but instead, something else occurred... Eric backed into a very solid body. 

Closing his eyes tightly, he turned around to see Jeff Hardy. The young man was glaring at him, the contempt and disdain naked in his green eyes. 

The General Manager displayed the fear he felt for a brief moment, then it vanished as he again grew furious. 

"What the hell are you looking at, Hardy?! You have a match coming up next - and you..." He turned back to the Dudleys. "... you guys better not bail out on it, either!" He poked a finger into Bubba Ray's chest and then turned back to Jeff - only to be met with a punch to the mouth. 

"Guess what, Bisch?" the young man drawled in his thich southern tone. "Match canceled." Then, glaring at the GM, the Hardy Boy stepped past and entered the trainer's room. 

Part 25

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	25. Chapter 25

Edge winced at the feel of the fresh stitches that had just been put on his forehead, his eyes closing at the sensation of the dull headache he felt in the center of his forehead. At the same time, he was acutely aware of the small, graceful hands touching him, gentle all the while. 

Lita gazed up at him with concern, her lovely brow furrowed as she eyed him tenderly. 

"I'm so sorry this happened to you, Edge." She shook her head, guilt coursing through her. "God, I'm sorry." 

He turned his green eyes on her as he hopped off the examining table, his hands gently grabbing hers. 

"This is not your fault, Lita... You have nothing to apologize for," he insisted. He moved his hands from hers to slowly wrap his arms around her waist, his gaze fixed on her pretty face. Neither of them even reacted when the trainer, followed by the Dudleys and Jeff, slipped from the room and that they were suddenly alone. 

"But it is," the redhead stubbornly protested, and the blond man merely smiled as he gazed down into her eyes. He couldn't help himself; she was so adorable. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't have been in all this mess. I mean, you were standing up for me. That's why it's my-" 

Lita's words were suddenly cut off as Edge dipped his head, capturing her lips in a hard and searing kiss. She seemed startled for the tiniest of split seconds, but instantly, her arms went up and around his neck as she responded in kind. She kissed him back deeply, the breath knocked out of her as she felt his warm tongue slide into her mouth, tangling with her own. She tangled her hands into his long blond hair, holding him more closely against her, and he pressed his body flush up to hers. 

When the kiss was finally broken, the redheaded diva pulled back just enough to gaze up into the tall Canadian's handsome, smiling face. 

"E-Edge...?" 

He cocked his head, and her gaze trailed for a second or two up to the bandage on his forehead before returning to his emerald depths. 

"You don't know how long I've been wanting to do that," he admitted. 

Lita bit her lip gently as she gazed up at him. A small smile came to her face. 

"Yeah? Well, I'm glad you did it." 

"So am I," he quipped. He suddenly realized they were alone in the room. "Hey, what happened to everyone?" 

The redhead turned to glance around their surroundings, then shook her head. 

"I don't know. Why don't we find out what's going on?" 

She reached out for him, and Edge grabbed her small hand, a smile returning to his face as they exited the room and went out into the hallway. That was when they realized, further down the way, near gorilla position, the Dudleys, Jeff Hardy leading the way, seemed to be dragging a very unhappy Eric Bischoff in the direction of the arena. 

Exchanging glances with the diva, the blond man nodded, and they followed the group. 

"What's going on?" 

Lita turned around to meet Trish's glance, the little blonde's face full of questions as she walked alongside them. She'd taken the time to shower and change into her street clothes, something Lita hadn't even gotten to do yet, as she'd been with Edge as he'd been getting stitched up. Instead, the redhead donned a mid-thigh length terrycloth robe over her muddy bra and panty-clad body. 

"We're not exactly sure," Edge told her as they continued to gorilla and past the curtain, "but the Dudleys and Jeff have Bischoff, and we're following them out there to get a closer look." 

"Ooh," the tiny blonde exclaimed, her face lighting up at the prospect, "I can hardly wait to see what happens!" 

They made their way out to the entry ramp, to the delight of thousands of screaming fans, their gazes traveling in an instant to the ring. Bubba had the General Manager by the hair as he'd done to countless divas before him, the man protesting with shouts and yells. D'Von and Jeff were sliding a table into the ring. 

Trish let out a squeal of delight, and she broke into a run down the ramp to the ring, much to Lita's surprise. What was the little blonde thinking? Well, she decided that if Bischoff somehow managed to get free from Bubba Ray, the Canadian diva still had three men to protect her. She felt fully confident that the Dudleys were not going to change their mind to wanting to put her through the table instead of their lovely GM. 

They watched intently as Trish rushed into the ring, and she bounded right up to the younger Hardy brother, who opened his arms to her. The blonde instantly put herself in his embrace, and as Lita and Edge watched, the pair kissed sweetly, and the fans in the crowded arena instantly reacted to it. 

Just as the precise moment that D'Von had hoisted Bischoff into Bubba's arms for a powerbomb off the top turnbuckle, music suddenly blared throughout the arena, and Edge and Lita turned their heads in shock to see the WWE C.E.O., Linda McMahon, suddenly appear. The woman held a microphone in her hand and gave them a warm smile as she came to stand just to Lita's right. 

"Eric... I have documents directly from the Board of Directors," the McMahon matriarch announced, and the GM's head turned in shock just enough to catch a glimpse of the C.E.O. "And I have a little announcement for you. They have declared you incompetent due to your constant unreasonable behavior. Therefore, you have been stripped of your responsibilities and are no longer General Manager!" 

A happy smile and a gasp came from Lita as she looked directly into Edge's green eyes. This was certainly interesting news, and she was pleased with this development, to say the least. 

"My daughter, Stephanie McMahon, will take on the responsibility of being the sole General Manager for the WWE. That is all," Linda went on. She spun on her heel, and that was when Bubba Ray slammed Bischoff down, straight through the wood. Trish pulled Jeff's face to hers once again, kissing him softly. 

"Well, what d'you know?" Edge said, his arm encircling the waist of the lovely redhead by his side. "All's well that ends well." 

She nodded, her hazel eyes lighting up as she locked them on his gaze. 

"I'll say..." 

The tall blond man pulled her close, pressing a sweet kiss on her lips to the delight of the crowd. 

End

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